REPORT OF THE ANTHROPOMETRIC COMMITTEE. 289: 
at a rate similar to that of the weight ; more slowly and regularly up to 
30 years, after which it declines at an increasing rate to the age of 60 
years. The strength of females increases at a more uniform rate from 
9 to 19 years, more slowly to 30, after which it falls off in a manner 
similar to that of males. The curves of strength for the two sexes are 
not parallel: at 11 years females are weaker than males by 22 lbs., at 20 
years of age by 36 lbs. 
The Period of Maturity in Man. 
61. The Tables do not show distinctly at what period man attains his 
full stature, and much difference of opinion exists on this subject. Some 
French writers (Barnard, Allaire, &c.) maintain that growth in height 
goes on until the 32nd or 35th year, and Dr. Baxter arrives at the same 
conclusion from the statistics of the United States Army; while most 
English writers (Danson, Aitken, Roberts, &c.) regard the 25th as the 
year of mature growth, and Dr. Beddoe places it as early as the 23rd 
year, admitting, however, that a slight increase may take place after this 
age. The difference of opinion on this subject arises, no doubt, from the 
faulty method of relying on the measurements of many different indivi- 
duals, instead of measuring the same individuals from year to year until 
growth ceases. The elimination of the weak and ill-developed by death, 
the difficulty of following the same class, and all the members of the class, 
through successive years, and the selection of ‘special classes (i.e. recruits 
whose ages are never certain), invalidate all conclusions as to the period 
of maturity drawn from statistics of measurements of many different 
persons ; but, allowing for these sources of error, and judging by the run 
of the curves formed by the means and averages, it is probable that 
little actual growth takes place after the age of 21, and that it entirely 
ceases by the 25th year. It is evident, moreover, from Table XVI., that 
the full stature is attained earlier in the well-fed and most favoured class 
(Class I.) than in the ill-fed and least favoured classes of the community 
(Class IV.). 
62. It is difficult to understand, moreover, how any increase of stature 
can take place after the bones of the skeleton have become consolidated,,. 
and the epiphyses firmly united to the body of their respective bones; 
and the last of these unions in the long bones, on which the stature 
depends, occurs about the 23rd year. In adopting the 23rd year for men 
and the 20th for women as the ages of the attainment of maturity the 
committee was influenced by these considerations, and a desire to under- 
state rather than overstate its case, and to embrace as large a number 
of observations as possible in its tables. In inquiries of this kind there 
is generally a slight amount of unconscious selection, very small persons 
being passed over, or having objections to being measured; and any 
deficiency of this kind will be balanced by the loss of growth which 
may occur after the age of 23 years. Females attain to maturity earlier 
ee wales, and the age of full growth has been fixed three years earlier 
or them. 
Influence of Advancing Age. 
63. The maintenance of the stature throughout life as shown by Table 
XYVI. is a new and unexpected fact, but it is probably due to the survival 
of the taller and better developed members of the population, and the 
ee by disease or death of the smaller and feebler ones. Quetelet 
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